[Pollen surveys in Sapporo for 6 years during 1992 to 1997].

We carried out pollen surveys for 6 years from 1992 to 1997. The method of pollen survey studied was based on the standardization board of air born pollen survey and pollen information in Japan. The pollen samples were collected in Nishioka-area of Toyohira-ku, and Kawazoe-area of Minami-ku in Sapporo. As the pollen sample device. IS Rotary pollen trap was used at Nishioka-area during 1992 to 1994 and at Kawazoe-area in 1993, and Durham's pollen trap was used at Kawazoe-area during 1995 to 1997. The yearly pollen counts were highly fluctuated in trees, particularly Yew (Taxus spp.), Alder (Alnus spp.), Birch (Betula spp.), Pine (Pinus spp.), Fir (Abies spp.), than in Grasses (Gramineae) and Weeds (Polygonaceae, Plantago spp., Artemisia spp., Chenopodiaceae). In addition, the starting date of pollination was widely fluctuated year by year in trees. For instance, the pollen of Birch was confirmed on April 13 in 1993, as the first day in Nishioka-area, while it was on April 28 in 1994. It should be considered that the pollen counts and the starting date of pollination were highly dependent on the weather condition of the previous year and the current year.

[The pollen survey and dynamic statistics of patients with allergic rhinitis in Hakodate].

We have investigated the pollen survey (1994-1998) and dynamic statistics of patients with allergic rhinitis (1999-2000) in Hakodate, which is located southern part of Hokkaido. We have noted the pollen dispersion of Cryptomeria japonica, Cupressaceae, white birch, Gramineae and Artemisia. Especially, a lot of dispersion of Cryptomeria japonica has been noted in April. Concerning the dynamic statistics of patients with allergic rhinitis, we have investigated the 192 patients with allergic rhinitis in Hakodate municipal hospital. There has been a lot of pollinosis in March, April, May and September. Frequency of positive reaction to the specific IgE have been 38.0% of house dust, 16.9% of Artemisia, 13.2% of Gramineae, 10.3% of white birch, 9.0% of Cryptomeria japonica and 6.9% of cat in 379 subjects. In conclusion, we have noted that Cryptomeria japonica and white birch in addition to Gramineae and Artemisia are becoming more important antigen in patients with pollinosis in Hakodate, south part of Hokkaido.

[Long-term study of airborne allergic pollen count, C. Japonica and cupressaceae in Japan].

We have investigated the distribution of airborne pollen at the different eleven points in Japan from 1987 to 1998 using gravity sampler. To clarify the characteristics causative pollen for Japanese cedar pollinosis, we examined annual change of pollen counts, dispersing period and geographical difference of C. japonica and Cupressaceae pollen. C. japonica pollen occupied much more in Central Japan and Cupressaceae in the west of Japan than the other area. In Hamamatsu City, both of pollen counts were most of all and we found a tendency that the more pollen counts the longer dispersing period. As they reported that at the starting day of pollen in this method some patients had already suffered from allergic symptoms, we considered pollen grains were dispersing in spite of being continuously captured. In these twelve years we found that patients with Japanese pollinosis are exposured by causative agents during about 100 days every spring. But we could not observe the trend of increasing pollen counts and earlier starting day because of global warming. Further more we found that the pollen counts of C. japonica in autumn was increasing since 1994. As one of the factors of increasing patients with pollinosis, we thought that total exposure period of causative pollen every year were longer than that of 1980s.

[Pollinosis and airborne pollen in Fukuoka City].

We investigated the relation between the incidence of pollinosis and pollen counts in Fukuoka City from 1983 to 1989 to clarify the "cause and effect" relationship and to evaluate the severity of pollinosis in this district. We collected questionnaires on pollinosis from six otorhinolaryngology clinics in our city during the pollination seasons from 1983 to 1989. Cryptomeria j., Cupressaceae and Gramineae pollens, which were sampled with Durham's samples from January to June, were sent from seven sampling locations in our city. The number of pollens was counted in our hospital. The total number of patients with pollinosis over the seven years was 4193. Females were numerous than males by one and a half times. The age group with the highest incidence was the thirties (41.9%), followed by the twenties (19.8%) and forties (18.4%). The incidence of Japanese cedar pollinosis was 92.6 percent and grass pollinosis 30.3 percent of all the patients because 23.0% of them overlapped. We found that the severity of nose and eye complaints and other symptoms of pollinosis in our study was milder than that in Tokyo and other Kanto districts. Annual changes in total pollen counts were remarkable, and a high incidence of Japanese cedar pollinosis was found as total pollen counts of Cryptomeria j. and Cupressaceae increased in Fukuoka City.